KL aiming for a 20% cut in carbon emissions by 2022

KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has undertaken a study on low-carbon footprint in an effort to create  more green spaces and linkages in Kuala Lumpur.

The Kuala Lumpur Low Carbon Society Blueprint 2030 is aimed at helping KL reduce its carbon emissions intensity by 20% by 2022.

“The study covers the River of Life project, KL Heritage Track, Taman Tugu and the issue of flooding,” said Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan (pic).

“The efforts to be a low-carbon city are what everybody in KL has to strive together to achieve in reality, not just in theory,” he said after opening the Spark (Space + Park) Landscape Architecture  International Dialogue held in Kuala Lumpur. 

The event was organised by the Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (Ilam) as part of DBKL’s Kuala Lumpur Design Month 2018.

Spark serves as a platform to gather leaders from built environments to discuss the challenges in the industry and explore solutions for a sustainable living. 

Thailand’s Landprocess managing director Kotchakorn Voraakhom gave a presentation on her company’s Chulalongkorn University Centennial Park project in Bangkok. 

The park collects and cleans water, reduces urban heat island, and can hold nearly one million  gallons of water during floods (3.8 million litres, or the equivalent of an American football field being completely filled with 1.13m of water).

 Asked for his thoughts on Voraakhom’s project which was built to address flood problems in Bangkok and the possibility of implementating it in KL, Nor Hisham said DBKL was open to embracing the ideas, but they would have to be adapted to a local context.

“We hope that this dialogue will offer innovative ideas in designing KL’s landscape, particularly for softscape solutions,” he said.

“We want to make KL a more viable city, similar to a garden city,” said the mayor.

Themed “Designing Cities, Inspiring Living”, Spark included sharing sessions on some of the latest ideas and design solutions by the landscape architectural field on flooding and greenery, landscape and human health, and public spaces.